The Real You
by mayghaen17
Summary: "Why do you care so much, Granger?" His voice was filled with pain and doubt. She closed the distance between them and laid a hand on his arm. "Because you didn't have a choice. You didn't ask for this; it was forced upon you. Just like it was forced upon all of us. No one should have to go through this, Draco. Not even you. Because I see the real you. Even if you don't, I do."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I was rewatching HBP and I got major inspo for this little ficlet. Honestly, I've been imagining this scenario for YEARS, but I finally was able to write it down and I'm so stoked to share it with you all! It was supposed to be a one-shot with just this part, but it ended up being damn near 20k so there will be 6 parts in total.**

**Updates will be on Tuesdays.**

**The song that I used for the title is The Real You by Three Days Grace and it embodies the mood I'm going for perfectly.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ron didn't remember.

He didn't know that he had broken up with his obsessive girlfriend while being hospitalized. He didn't know that he had called for Hermione in his hour of need. He didn't know it was she who sat by his side at all hours of the night and held his hand until his blue eyes had opened for the first time.

The relief that flooded her system had been a shock. So much so, that when Harry noticed Katie Bell's return, she took the opportunity seek some solitude, in desperate need to assess her thoughts. The emotional hurricane streaming down her cheeks as she went.

She gasped for air as she ripped open the door to the second-floor girl's bathroom. Nothing but bad memories lingered here, but she was glad for the solace it provided. She only rested briefly against the door before she threw herself into the first stall. She didn't bother closing the door as she sat, furiously swiping tears from her eyes. This bathroom had been out of order since Myrtle died in it years ago.

Her reprieve was cut short as the door to the bathroom opened and closed with a bang. She jumped and clamped a hand over her mouth. She didn't want Ron or Harry to see her here; not like this. She climbed onto the tank and rested her feet on the seat.

She heard footsteps and loud intakes of breath. Whoever the person was, they were in distress. She heard the tap turn on after a moment followed by choking sobs. She lowered her hand from her mouth and closed her eyes. She tried her best to block out the sound; feeling guilty at the intrusion of this person's privacy.

As a snivel interrupted the sobs, Hermione's eyes went wide with recognition. Her curiosity propelled her forward and she slipped on the toilet. She landed on unsteady feet and fell out the open stall door, landing on all fours on the floor.

Malfoy turned to her with eyes wide in both fear and anger. One of his hands clenched the sink while the other reached for his wand. He pointed it at her with a trembling arm. His hair stuck out from having been pulled in frustration. Water droplets ran down his face and wet the collar of his white button down from where he had splashed it.

"Spying on me, Granger?" His voice was full of the usual sneers in which he spoke to her, but there was a rawness she had never heard before.

She held her hands out in front of her as she slowly rose to her feet. "I was in here first, Malfoy," she whispered. She winced as pain radiated up her elbow. "This _is_ the girl's bathroom."

His eyes flickered around the room as he decided what to do with her. His fingers tightened on his wand, but his arm lowered from the trembling. "I could kill you right now," he spat. "No witnesses. I would be doing the Dark Lord a favor."

"You won't kill me, Malfoy," she said, her own voice wavering as she tried her best to be brave in the face of danger. While, deep down, she didn't think him capable of actually killing, he wasn't exactly stable at the moment.

He took a menacing step forward and Hermione let out a small gasp of fright at the way he brandished his wand. "I can do it!" Another step. "Without his Mudblood, Potter doesn't stand a chance against the Dark Lord."

Hermione winced more at the volume of his voice rather than the words. She refused to take another step backwards despite her feet itching to do so. Instead, she took a small one forward, arms still raised in surrender.

His eyes flashed at the action and his spine straightened. He watched her in frozen fright as she continued taking small steps forward. When she got an arm's length from him, he realized her intention, he snapped out of his daze.

"Do _not _touch me!" he demanded.

"Malfoy…" she breathed, her eyes misting with tears. He stepped back from her, his hip colliding with another sink. The action caused him to stumble and his wand arm lowered. "We can help you."

His gaze snapped up to hers and she saw right away that it had been the wrong thing to say.

"Help me?" he sneered. "I don't need anyone's help!"

His outburst caused a wave of accidental magic. A bright flash of blue light burst forth from the tip of his wand. It had been pointed at the floor and ricocheted off the tile to blast one of the sinks from the wall. Water from the pipes fountained and splashed around them.

Hermione turned as debris from the sink flew through the air. A shriek tore from her throat as a shard of it sliced her bicep. Her right arm rose to cover it and looked down as blood flowed down her arm and through her fingers.

She reached for her wand, but stopped with her hand halfway to her pocket as she watched Malfoy lose grip of his. The sound of the wood clattering against the ground was louder than the spray of the water. She swallowed over the lump of fear in throat and took a gentle step forward.

He noticed her when she was just out of arm's reach again. He stared at her with a clenched jaw and tears running down his face. Her eyes fluttered against her own tears as she took another half step; her hand reaching out of him. His eyes widened and she noticed the shallow rise and fall of his chest. He glanced at her hand before his grey eyes locked with her chocolate ones once more. "Let us help you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her hand fell on his forearm; his skin searing her beneath the sleeve of his shirt.

Her chin lifted as his free hand rose. She kept her eyes on his as he laid his hand on her forearm. Slowly, his fingers trailed up her arm, ghosting over the cut. He hesitated at her shoulder before it rested there. "It's too late," he whispered.

Her eyes went wide as he spun her. Her back hit the wall with enough force to make her gasp. His fingers wrapped around her throat, pressing against her air supply. She brought both of her hands up to claw at him, but his pressure only increased.

Her magic lashed out in her panic. Every sink and toilet exploded behind them. Water and debris rained down around them as the ground shook. Malfoy released his hold on her throat after a moment and she sucked in a greedy breath of air; one that was stolen again from her a moment later as the blast pushed his body flush against hers. His hands scraped at the wall to keep him from falling, effectively caging her in. She gripped at his clothes and ducked her head.

The air sizzled with magic and when she lifted her head, their eyes connecting once more, a different kind of hell broke loose.

Their lips collided in a punishing manner. Her hands that had used his hips to steady herself were now pulling his shirt from the waistband of his trousers. His hands had left the wall in favor of sinking into her somewhat wet hair, tugging it back to angle her more to his liking. A gasp parted her lips and his tongue chased hers in a battle of dominance.

When she had his shirt freed, she fumbled with the first button. With a moan at the taste of Malfoy's tongue sliding across hers, she found the divide in the material of his shirt and tugged. Buttons popped off at her action and her fingers dove straight to his abdomen. She explored the hard planes of a physique she knew was due to his involvement in Quidditch.

Malfoy's hips slammed into hers; his arousal prodding at her. She whimpered and pulled her head back sharply, desperately in need of air. He growled low in his throat from the break of their kiss, but his lips immediately reattached to the soft skin of her jaw. His tongue traced the shell of her ear before nipping her lobe and dropping to her throat.

Her nails dug into his skin as she shuddered with pleasure. His hands left her hair to pull at her top layers in the same manner she had. The moment he was able, his hands pulled at the cups of her bra, raising them above her breasts. His palms cupped her roughly and she bit her bottom lip as he pinched her nipples.

Her hands dropped to his trousers at the same time his left her breasts in favor of pulling up her skirts. As she worked on his belt and fly, he tore her stockings. Her hips bucked wantonly when he pushed her kickers to the side to allow his fingers to brush through her folds. She cried out as he pulled away, but was only gone long enough to roll her knickers down her legs and then push his own bottom layers down.

She yelped when he stood up again. His lips captured hers roughly as his hands gripped her thighs hard enough to bruise. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his instinctively. He used one hand to brace himself against the wall while the other firmly grasped his cock. She shuddered against him and sucked at his bottom lip as he coated himself in her slick.

She bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood as he pushed his cock into her core. They groaned in unison and she threw her head back, not caring that it bounced off the tiled wall behind her. Her vision blurred for a moment, but when it stabilized, Malfoy was pounding relentlessly in and out of her. Her fingers dug into whatever part of him she could grasp for purchase as he used lips, teeth, and tongue to mark up her throat.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she felt a foreign tension stemming from her core. It rolled through her body and forced a scream of ecstasy from her lips. Her hips bucked uncontrollably against him as she climaxed. She came hard, throwing them off balance. Malfoy stumbled and his arm came away from the wall to keep her in place.

Her cry of surprise from being slammed against the edge of the closest sink quickly turned into a moan as he resumed impaling her with his cock. With one hand, she thread her fingers through his hair while the other grasped at the remaining portion of the sink to keep from slipping off of it.

Her eyes rolled as she felt that tension building again. Malfoy's body began to spasm. She tugged at his hair, drawing his head back with the intention of capturing his lips again, but the moment their eyes connected, the heat of the moment came to a head and they came together. Malfoy's hips gave a few final jerks and she cried out.

Realization hit them before they even came down from their high.

He let go of her as if touching her burned him. He tripped over his trousers still pooled at his ankles. She slid off the sink and used the wall for support when her legs threatened to buckle. With trembling hands, she pulled her bra back down.

"Fuck!" he hissed, reaching down to pull up his lower layers. He had barely pulled them up over his hips when her hand slid on the tile and she fell forward. He caught her before she could hit the ground and they just stared at each other. His lips parted to say something, but the door to the bathroom opened, cutting him off.

"What have you- Hermione?"

She pulled herself from Malfoy's grip and held her front layers closed with her hands at the sound of Harry's voice behind her. She felt Malfoy tense from beside her and dared a fleeting glance at her friend. He had his wand out and aimed at Malfoy; a murderous look in his emerald eyes as he took in their state of undress.

"Harry, wait!" she cried, but the spell crashed into the wall where Malfoy had been before she even finished speaking.

The blonde dove for his wand on the floor and fired back at Harry. The two of them hurled spell after spell at the other while Hermione begged and pleaded for them to stop. She screamed as a rogue spell narrowly missed her feet by jumping away from it as it crashed into the floor.

Malfoy looked at her, panicked that she might have been hit. Harry seized the opportunity of his opponent's distraction and shouted, "_Sectumsempra_!"

The spell hit Malfoy square in the stomach. He was lifted from the ground and landed on his back several feet from where he had stood. Hermione lifted a hand to her mouth in terror as Malfoy stopped moving. Her eyes widened as one deep gash appeared from his collarbone to his hip. Blood welled up and poured out, turning his flesh paler than ever.

"What did you do!?" she yelled at Harry as she rushed forward. She landed on her knees next to Malfoy and grasped his head in her shaking hands. She put his head in her lap and looked up at Harry; her vision blurred with tears.

Harry had taken a step back, gaze flickering back and forth between his friend and his rival. The water on the floor was now pink with blood and Malfoy's breathing was dangerously shallow. Hermione looked down to see Malfoy's eyes closed and his lips quivering. She could barely hear his moans of pain as his body twitched on the ground.

"What have you done?"

Hermione looked up to see Professor Snape entering the bathroom. He took one look at Harry before the raven-haired wizard ran away in fright. Hermione blinked at the spot he had vacated before looking at Snape. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. "It was a curse. Sectum… Sect…"

Her voice was shaking too badly to get the full word out, but Snape seemed to have enough to go on. He knelt in the water and aimed his wand at Malfoy's chest. "_Vulnera Sanetur,_" he said. The blood flow began to ease from the wounds. "_Vulnera Sanetur_," he repeated. Hermione sucked in a breath as she watched Malfoy's pale flesh knit together in the first stages of healing. _"Vulnera Sanetur_," Snape said a third time, but whatever it did, the results were not visual.

Snape stood and Malfoy's body rose from the ground with a flick of the professor's wand. He said nothing about where he was going, but she was sure it was the infirmary. She pushed herself to her feet and stuck out her hand for her wand to fly into. She pointed it at her shirt to replace the missing buttons and then slip them into the loops. She then followed Snape into the hall all the way to the infirmary.

She watched from a distance as Madame Pomfrey worked quickly to administer blood replenishing potions and what she was sure was dittany. "What happened, Severus?" the healer asked under her breath as she administered a second potion. Hermione sensed the urgency for treatment was over, but her heart continued to hammer against her ribs.

"I do not know," he replied, his gaze flickering to Hermione as she took a step towards them. "But I will find out."

"Is he… Will he…" Hermione asked, voice still shaking.

"He'll be fine, dear," Pomfrey replied without looking at her.

Snape filled her vision, breaking her fixation of Malfoy. "Are you injured, Miss Granger?" he asked.

"No, I-"

"Follow me," he demanded and began to leave.

Hermione's lips parted to protest as she looked back at Malfoy again, but then thought better of it and turned to follow Snape. He led her through the throng of people who had crowded the halls in search of the latest gossip. She kept her head down and arms crossed in front of her until they were in his office away from prying eyes.

"Professor, I-"

His wand was out and aimed at her face before she started speaking. "_Legilimens_." The spell was followed by a strange sensation at the back of her mind. She stood there in shocked silence as the encounter in the bathroom replayed in her mind. Snape watched it happen; from the moment she entered the bathroom to when she followed him out of it.

He saw everything.

She swayed on her feet when his mind retreated from hers. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. She let her eyes drop to the floor as shame flushed her cheeks. "Where did Potter learn that spell?" he asked.

Not wanting him to invade her mind again, she answered him. "His potion's book. It's an old copy he found in the storage closet when he joined Potions the first day of term."

"Miss Granger, do you understand the gravity of the situation that has transpired?"

"Yes," she breathed, wanting nothing more than to run from his office and back to the safety of Gryffindor Tower.

"Then I suggest you do well to heed my advice," he said. Her gaze flickered up to his. "Stay away from him."

She nodded and gave in to her desire to flee. She breathed a sigh of relief when Snape didn't block her path or chase after her. She ran through the halls and up the stairs, stopping only at the portrait long enough to give the current password. She didn't even look to see who was in the common room or seek the voices calling her name. She just pushed past everyone until she was in her dorm. She curled up on her bed and stared off into space as she tried to come to grips with what had happened.


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO**

It was well into the night when Hermione rose from her bed. She made sure her other roommates were asleep or at least had their curtains drawn around their beds so she could get by without alerting anyone. She didn't see anyone until she got to the common room and was unsurprised to find Harry pacing back and forth alone.

He did a double take when saw her approach. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To check on Malfoy."

"No."

"No?" she questioned, crossing her arms in front of her. "You could have killed him!" she hissed. "You'll be lucky if you don't get expelled tomorrow."

"I could care less about whether or not he lives, Mione. I would do it a hundred times over." He shook his head and stared at her. "Please tell me I didn't see what I think I saw."

Her silence spoke volumes.

"What about Ron?" he asked.

"What _about _Ron?" she countered. She shook her head and took an angry step forward. "This has nothing to do with him!" she hissed. "If he wants to only have feelings for me when he can't remember them or when I'm with someone else-"

"Oh, so you're with Malfoy now?"

Her lips parted in an angry stare as she glared at him. "Do _not_ put words in my mouth, Harry Potter!" she snapped. "I am _not _with Malfoy. It just…happened. Believe me, it was a big mistake that neither of us planned. It won't happen ever again, but I am going to check on him to make sure that you didn't kill him."

"Hermione, I-"

"You need to get rid of that book, Harry. It's dangerous and I won't have you hurting anyone else. Either turn it in to Slughorn or get rid of it some other way. If I see it again, I'll burn the bloody thing."

His eyes went wide at the thought of her burning a book. "I already got rid of it," he stated.

"Good," she said and stepped up to the entrance before crawling out the portrait to the landing at the top of the stairs.

Hermione was careful as she made her way through the castle from the Gryffindor Tower to the infirmary. She had been spent most of her school days sneaking through it that it felt like second nature at this point. She hesitated outside of the infirmary for a moment, debating what she was even doing there in the first place. But she wasn't about to let her risk of being caught be for nothing and slipped inside.

The only other person in the room was Malfoy. He was only a shade or two darker than the crisp white linens he laid upon. From this distance she couldn't tell if he was awake or not and found herself stepping forward. She got as close as she dared and stared at him, her hand raising to her throat, her fingers nervously dancing across the marks he had left on her.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you it's rude to stare, Granger?"

His voice startled her into going stiff as a board. After a moment, she forced herself to breathe and watched him push himself into a sitting position. He struggled and winced; by the time he was situated, he was breathing hard from the exertion.

He sighed and eyed her wearily. "Why are you here, Granger?"

Her feet carried her forward until she reached the foot of his bed. "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

He was taken aback at her statement and scowled at her. "Why? We shag once and suddenly you care about me?"

"Yes," she said quickly and then realized what she agreed to. She shook her head, eyes wide. "No! Not…" She swallowed and cast her eyes down. "I would have cared about you because of what Harry did. Regardless of what else happened."

"Why?" he asked, this time an incredible amount of agony was audible in his voice.

Her eyes snapped up to lock onto his. "Despite the fact that you're the world's biggest prat," she started with narrowed eyes and a harsh tone of voice. "You didn't deserve it." Her face softened as she said the last part and she saw something flash in his eyes as his body relaxed a bit. "What Harry did to you was wrong."

"You do realize there's a war coming, don't you?" he questioned, his brow quirking up at her. "And that we're not exactly on the same side?"

"There's been plenty of death already," she replied.

"Right," he said, sneering at her. "And we wouldn't my death to tarnish the Golden Boy's reputation before the war's even started, would we?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and shifted her stance. He tensed again as she took a step forward, hands on her hips. "I thought the ordeal would have knocked some civility into you," she snapped.

"And here I thought you were smarter than that."

She stared at him for a moment and then sighed heavily. She looked around the room to make sure it was still empty except for the two of them. "You can pretend for everyone else, but I know what I saw, Malfoy. You're scared," she said, taking a step forward. "And it's never too late to ask for help."

A myriad of emotions washed over him as his eyes slowly crept back up to hers, pausing to stare at her throat and then finally at her face with lips parted and wide eyes. "You should go," he whispered, his voice barely audible even in the silence of the room.

His eyes flickered to her lips as she sucked her bottom one between her teeth and then quickly cast them down to his hands in his lap. Tension thickened the air around them as she stayed rooted to the spot. After a heavy sigh, she said, "Snape knows."

His eyes snapped back up to hers; the grey of his irises darkening significantly. She braced herself for insults of not being able to keep her mouth shut, but nothing came. Instead there was a hint of empathy and knowing. "Legilimency," he muttered.

She nodded. "I wouldn't have told him about… that if he hadn't invaded my mind."

He snorted. "What's the matter, Granger? We already did the deed, you might as well say the words. It's as if-" He stopped himself and stared at her when realization hit him. She was already looking down at the floor as heat crept up her neck and face. "Merlin, please tell me I wasn't your first."

Her eyes flickered up to meet his briefly against her better judgement. The action confirmed his suspicions. Tears blurred her vision as she turned to flee the infirmary.

"Fuck, Granger, wait!" he called after her, hissing in pain at his attempts to move. She shouldered open the door and ran through the halls. She no longer cared if she was caught; she just wanted to get back to her dorm and stay there until everything blew over.

But her plans were delayed when she entered the common room to find Harry still pacing the center of it. He stopped the moment he spotted her and his lips parted to speak, but she beat him to it. "Save it, Harry. Please," she whispered. "Not now."

He nodded and closed the distance between them. He led her to the couch and wrapped his arms around her while she sobbed against his shoulder. Whether he cast silencing charms around them or not, she didn't care. She wasn't sure what bothered her more; losing her virginity to Draco Malfoy of all people in the midst of a heated argument, Harry nearly killing him moments later, or the onslaught of feelings she shouldn't be having.

When she had nothing left in her system to cry out, she pulled away from Harry and wiped at her face. He kept his arm around her, his hand stroking her back in a soothing manner. "A-are you okay?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm…"

He nodded when her voice faded. "And Malfoy?"

"Still a prat," she said, earning a chuckle and a nudge from Harry.

"Come on," he said, getting to his feet and drawing her with him. "You should get to bed."

She nodded and took a step towards the girl's dormitory.

"Uh, Hermione?" Harry called.

She turned to look at him. His face was stained pink as he reached back to rub at his neck. He used his other hand to point halfheartedly at his throat and then at her. "You should… You need to cover…"

She cleared her throat and felt warmth flood her cheeks as well. "Thanks," she breathed and hurried up the stairs before things could get anymore awkward than they already were.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione found herself staring at reflection in the mirror of the shared bathroom. She had stripped down to her sleep tank and knickers with the intent of taking a shower, but was too lost in her reflection to move. Her hair was a right mess. It was nothing but a heap of frizz and tangles. Sleeping on it had only added to the knots that Malfoy's hands had caused by tugging at it.

But even the mess of her hair did nothing to distract attention from the array of bruises that littered her neck. Some were from his lips and teeth while others were from when he had wrapped his fingers around her throat. They varied in sizes and colors, but it was very obvious what they were. Had it been the winter, she could have made do with a scarf until they faded, but since it was early May, she had to figure out a way to hide them.

Her eyes moved down to her arms, stopping briefly at the cut on her bicep from the debris. It wasn't deep, but it was still gnarly to look at. There was a small bruise on her hip when she lifted the hem of her tank top. She wasn't sure where that one was from.

The bruises on her thighs were only slightly less worse than the ones at her throat. She bit her lip as she let her fingers caress them gently. Vividly her mind conjured up the memory of him grabbing her flesh to hoist her up. She flinched as she recalled the moment he had penetrated her core and her thighs pressed together as the memory brought on a fresh ache.

"Hermione?"

Even if she hadn't been shell-shocked, she never would have been able to move fast enough to hide herself from Ginny. The red-head's eyes went wide as she took in the sight of her friend. She swallowed thickly and she shook her head.

"Harry said I should find you," she said after a moment, lifting a small bag for Hermione to see. "Said you needed some help."

Hermione nodded and turned away from her reflection to face Ginny, her arms crossing over her chest. "Thanks."

Ginny's lips pressed into a thin line as her eyes raked over Hermione once more. "You don't have to tell me anything, but this was consensual, yeah?"

Hermione's eyes went wide at the question. She had lived in the moment; had seen the aftermath on her skin. She knew how it looked, but still, she nodded. It had been mutual between her and Malfoy; despite how it looked now in the light of day. "Yes," she answered, her voice raspy. She nodded again. "It wasn't… He didn't…"

Ginny reached up to lay a hand on her arm and smiled gently, giving a small nod. "We'll start with your hair so you can shower," she said, transfiguring something Hermione couldn't see into a chair. "Did you use protection?"

Her blood turned to ice in her veins as she went completely still. "It wasn't exactly planned," she whispered, sinking on to the chair.

"I can go with you to the infirmary before breakfast if you want. Madame Pomfrey has some potions for emergency contraceptive."

She nodded slowly as Ginny began to take a brush and wand to work out the mess that was her hair. As much as she hated the idea of being humiliated again in Malfoy's presence, she would much rather take what precautions she could. It would be better to ask for something now than risk the alternative.

Merlin knew she didn't want to have _that_ conversation with Draco fucking Malfoy.

When the brush was able to pass through her hair without any snags, Ginny sat on the chair to do her own makeup for the day while Hermione took her time in the shower. When she emerged and dressed for the day, she sat back in the chair. Ginny used her wand to pull Hermione's hair back and then took out a tube from her bag.

"You can keep this one. I'll show you how to make it look natural. It's like Muggle concealer, only it's enhanced with a sticking charm. Once it dries, it stays in place for seventy-two hours. At most I have to apply it twice, but you might need a few more," she said with a light smile. "Some of these are…"

Hermione nodded and tilted her chin up. Ginny spent a few minutes showing her the best way to apply it and by the time she was done, Hermione smiled at the results. Some of the darker bruises were still visible, but to someone who didn't know they were there she was sure it would suffice.

"Thanks, Ginny."

"Anytime," she said with a smile.

The two of them followed the early morning crowd through the common room and down the stairs. Only, when everyone else went one way towards the Great Hall, the pair veered the opposite direction and slipped into the infirmary.

Hushed, angry whispers drew their attention towards the sole patient. Professor Snape was standing at Malfoy's bed side as the pair engaged in a verbal spar. Both of them stopped when Madame Pomfrey came out of her office to greet her and Ginny. Hermione looked at the healer before her gaze could lock with Malfoy, but it did nothing to keep the heat of their stares from her.

"Good morning," Madame Pomfrey sang. "How may I help you, dears?"

"M-maybe we could speak in your office?" Hermione stammered, forcing her gaze to remain on the healer.

"Certainly," she said, gesturing for her to step inside.

"I'll wait here," Ginny said, leaning back against the wall.

Even with the door closed, Hermione still felt exposed. She could see Malfoy and Snape from her periphery thanks to the large windows. She knew they were there so the healer could observe her patients, but it was hard to concentrate when she felt Malfoy's gaze constantly flicker to her.

"Ginny told me that you might have… That you carry…" She sighed and squared her shoulders. She was Hermione Granger. She could string a full sentence together. "I made a mistake yesterday and I'm not on any form of contraception. Ginny said you might have something for an emergency?"

Madame Pomfrey smiled softly and nodded her head. "Of course. I'll fetch one in a moment for you. Was it that you forgot to take it before hand or have you not started taking the potion regularly?"

"I'm not on it," she replied. "Until yesterday there was no need."

"No worries, dear. Would you like some?" She nodded hastily and watched the healer take her leave of the office for a moment. When she returned, she handed Hermione five vials. She pointed to the one with a green tip at the bottom. "Take this one now. Just make sure you eat something soon. These," she said, pointing to the ones with a pink tip. "Are to be taken each month. Take one after breakfast tomorrow and then once on the first of every month. It's not like Muggle contraceptives where you can't overlap, so do not fret. This will get you through the rest of term and over the summer. I suggest you haver your parents take you to St. Mungo's for future doses."

"Thank you," Hermione said, pocketing the pink ones before raising the green one to her lips. She handed the empty vial back to the healer and then took her leave of the office. With one glance at Malfoy, she turned to Ginny. The younger witch let her eyes travel back to Malfoy before slowly settling again on Hermione. She could tell by the look in her eyes that she _knew_, but said nothing as she smiled and gestured towards the door. Hermione sighed with relief as they walked side-by-side to the Great Hall for breakfast.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Happy Christmas Eve everyone! I hope this is a good present for you ;)**

**THREE**

The rumor mill at Hogwarts had always been exceptional. The incident in the second-floor girl's bathroom had been one of the fastest spreading stories. Everyone knew Harry and Malfoy had gotten into a duel and it ended with Malfoy in the hospital wing for several days. The only part of the rumor that was speculation was what role Hermione played in it.

Professor Snape had found Harry and Hermione after breakfast the next day and pulled them aside. Harry had been told he was lucky not to be expelled, but that he was getting detention every Saturday until the end of term. Hermione and Malfoy were each given a month of Saturday detentions for their destruction of property. Snape made sure to keep the times to serve their detentions as well as their duties as separate as possible, given the nature of their wrongdoings.

Hermione had finished her third detention with time to spare before dinner. Even though Snape was no longer the Potion's instructor, he had her cleaning out cauldrons and the aftermath of botched potions for Slughorn. On her way out of the classroom, she jumped as something slid over her shoe. When she looked at it again, she noticed it was an enchanted note in the form of a snake.

She looked around before she picked it up, but found that she was alone. She tapped it with her wand and it opened into a regular piece of parchment with only a few words scribbled on it.

_Meet me. You know where._

Hermione crushed the parchment in her fingers and looked around. It wasn't a scrawl she was familiar with, but she was smart enough to know exactly who had sent it. She debated on whether or not she should go. It had been three weeks since the incident; three weeks since she had run from him while he laid in the hospital bed. He hadn't even made so much as a snide remark to her since. Aside from the occasional glance she caught him throwing her way, he seemed to be going out of his way to make it seem as if she didn't exist.

Still undecided, she slowly emerged from the dungeons and ascended the stairs. She stepped onto the second-floor landing and dragged her feet to the abandoned bathroom. She hesitated near the portraits across the hall from it and stared at the door. After a moment, her curiosity got the better of her and she sped forward before she lost her nerve.

She closed the door as carefully as she opened it and peered inside. Everything had been repaired since she had last been in here. It was as if nothing had ever happened. "Malfoy?" she called out; her voice quiet as she looked down the row of stalls. When it was clear that she was alone, she took a deep breath and regretted her decision to come.

She made her way to the entrance and as she turned the handle to let herself out, Malfoy was on the other side, pushing his way in. Hermione stumbled back until she was a comfortable distance away from him. He had his wand out and aimed at the door. He used nonverbal spells, but she knew from where the little white light hit that he had locked it.

He pocketed his wand and then moved to lean against one of the sinks. Hermione swallowed around a tight throat as a sense of déjà vu washed over her. She remained where she was with her back against the first stall door, her arms folded over her chest. She stared at him, waiting for him to address why he had asked her to meet him, but instead, he just stared at the ground.

"Are you going to speak or not? You're the one that asked me to meet you here, Malfoy. If you intend to only stand there in silence, I'll take my leave." His gaze lifted from the floor to stare at her, his fists clenching at his sides. She gave him another moment, but he said nothing and she shrugged. "Suit yourself," she said, pushing herself away from the stall.

"Stay." His voice was gruff as if it had taken all of his willpower to say that one word.

"Then start talking."

"It's not all that easy to speak to you," he jeered. "I can't say anything without getting a rise out of you."

"So then speak to me as you would your friends."

"I don't have friends, Granger. And if I spoke to you the way I do Crabbe and Goyle, it would provoke you even more." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the newly repaired sinks. "And as much as I usually enjoy our banter, the last time-"

"I get it," she interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "Just spit it out, Malfoy." She lifted her chin arrogantly. "Besides, it was you who threw yourself at me, so you don't have to worry about-"

"I most certainly did not!" he shouted.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Agree to disagree."

"Fat chance. I think you need your head examined. I did _not_ throw myself at you."

She rolled her eyes. "Surely whatever you brought me here to discuss is more important than who initiated what. Can we please let it go?"

His grey eyes were blazing. It was clear he did not want to be known for the one who initiated it. Truthfully, she thought it had been mutual; that neither one of them had truly been behind the decision, but to know that he felt so strongly about it made her cringe. It made sense; she was a Mudblood after all. Of course, he didn't want to be known as the one to make the first move. She wrapped her arms about herself, suddenly very self-conscious.

"Fine," he said, voice cold.

She inclined head sharply. "Are you here to take me up on my offer for help?"

He hesitated for a moment. "It's not that simple."

"I didn't say it would be."

He shifted his feet and dropped his gaze to the floor. A long bout of silence stretched between them before Hermione closed her eyes and sighed.

"Just start from the beginning," she suggested.

"He'll know."

"He'll know that you came to me regardless just by asking me to meet," she countered. "So you might as well tell me what sort of trouble you're in. It's the only way I can help get you out of it."

He glared at her, hating that she was right. There was still a struggle going on in his mind about being here. She understood. It was hard to ask for help from people you liked let alone someone you thought of as the enemy. She unfurled her arms and let them hang at her sides in attempt to look more approachable. He had come this far; there was no reason to scare him off now.

"One condition."

She nodded. "Name it."

"Swear it on Potter's life."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not swearing on anyone's life, Malfoy. You should know me enough to know that I'll keep my word. Whatever we agree on; I'll never betray your trust."

She saw it in his eyes the moment he decided to trust her. "I came to _you_ for help, Granger. Not Potter, not Dumbledore; not anyone from the bloody Order. No one else can know about this other than the two of us. Whatever plan you devise to help me has to be something we can do alone."

Her eyes went wide as his request. "That's preposterous!" she breathed. "The Order is designed to help people. They would-"

"If I gave myself over to them, they wouldn't hesitate to use me as a double agent given my knowledge and station. That would defeat the purpose of getting out and make it twice as dangerous. You and I both know it, Granger, so don't even try to argue with me on this." He stepped away from the sink, shoving his hands in to his trouser pockets. "And besides, we both know whatever plan they were to come up with, yours would be better anyway. You've got more brains than any of them combined."

She felt her lips quirk into a smile despite her best efforts. She never thought she would ever see the day where Malfoy paid her a compliment of any sort. She cleared her throat and bit at her bottom lip to save face, but she realized it was a mistake. Malfoy's eyes dropped to her mouth and tracked the movement. She shifted her weight and slowly released her lip from between her teeth, watching him until his gaze lifted to hers again.

They both looked away instantly.

She took a few slow, deep breaths and played with the hem of her shirt. "I can't promise success, Malfoy, but I give you my word that I will do everything in my power to help you." Her gaze lifted back up tentatively to see him nod. They both knew this was a longshot at best. When he continued to stay silent, she dug her nails into her palm to avoid biting her lip again. "Whatever it is, Malfoy, you can tell me."

He nodded and raked a hand through his hair. Hermione felt her fingers flex at her side as she recalled how surprisingly soft his platinum locks had been. The way they felt as she wrapped her fingers around them and tugged. When she pulled herself out of her trip down memory lane, she realized she was biting her lip again and her thighs pressed together as an all too familiar sensation roared to life inside her.

"For fuck's sake, Granger, _stop it_."

Hermione's body went still at the strain in his voice. She slowly let go of her bottom lip, an audible pop increasing the thickness of the air between them. She ground her teeth together to keep from doing it again, watching him as he waged a war with his inner self.

"Room of Requirement," he said, looking everywhere around the room except at her. "Tonight, eleven."

She nodded, but her feet remained rooted to the floor. He looked at the door and then slowly let his gaze fall on her. She straightened up as he crossed the room in a few long strides. He pressed his body against hers and lowered his face down to her level, his lips hovering near her ear. She shivered and closed her eyes when his breath tickled her ear as he whispered, "For the record, if I were to make the first move, Granger, you'd know it."

Her eyes opened at the sudden loss of pressure from his body against hers in time to see him flee the room. She jumped as the door slammed even though she knew it was coming. She sagged back against the stall and closed her eyes. The tension surrounding them lingered in the air even after his departure. She hadn't been aware of how hard it had been to breathe until she got her first real breath. She wasn't quite sure how their next meeting was going to go if this one had gone the way it had. She swallowed hard at the thought.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself away from the stall and made her way up to Gryffindor Tower. With any luck, her friends would provide her with some much-needed distractions. She had a few hours to pull herself together, wondering if she wasn't in over her head in agreeing to help Malfoy.

* * *

As she descended into the common room, she wondered why she wasn't feeling as though she were about to make a big mistake. Harry was sitting on the couch in front of the fire staring at the map with his usual intensity. Ron was sitting on the opposite end of the couch, his head tipped back and his mouth open as he snoozed. Had it been any other night, she would have found it endearing.

That night they were just an obstacle in her way.

Harry did a double take at the sight of her. He started to smile at her in greeting, but when he noticed she wasn't wearing her usual night clothes, his face twisted in disapproval. He got to his feet and approached her. They kept their voice low despite the fact that they knew they could shout and Ron would still remain asleep.

"Where are you going?"

She pressed her lips together tightly as she debated on telling him. If she said nothing and left anyway, he would see exactly where she was going and who she would be with. The alternative would be to tell him now and coming up with something on the spot.

"I need the map."

"Hermione-"

She glanced at Ron and inhaled sharply as she conjured enough courage to say what she had to. "I'm meeting Malfoy and-" she held up her hand to quiet him as his lips parted to interrupt her. "And it would be better if I had the map so that if Ron wakes up, he doesn't have a chance to see our names together."

"Tell me why you're meeting him," he demanded.

Guilt caused her stomach to flip as she formed the story moments before she told it to him. She felt bad playing on his lack of knowledge, but it was better than him learning the truth. And as she had told Malfoy, she would never betray his trust. Not even to Harry. "Because we didn't use protection and I'm late."

"Late for what?" he asked.

She shuffled her feet awkwardly in an attempt to be embarrassed. The moment he caught on, his eyes blazed with anger and he reached back to rub at his neck. "You… You're sure?"

"I haven't been to see Madame Pomfrey yet, but…" She swallowed thickly and shrugged her shoulders. "Git or not, he has a right to know."

"Hermione-"

"Harry, I don't want to talk about it. I told Malfoy to meet me at eleven and I'm going to be late. Can I have the map or not?" At least that part was true.

He nodded and handed it over to her. She knew he would. It was far better for Harry to think she was with child than to have to try and calm Ron's rage if he discovered her and Malfoy together after curfew. It was bad enough people were already suspicious from the rumors. The last thing she wanted was to confirm it for the masses. But one day, Harry would figure it out and she hoped he would forgive her.

"I'll give it back to you in the morning."

"And when Ron asks why I gave it to you?"

She shrugged. "Tell him I thought of something and went to the library," she said as she made her way to the entrance. "Thanks, Harry."

She checked the map to make sure the coast was clear before pushing the Fat Lady's portrait aside. Luckily, the Room of Requirement was on the seventh floor. She wouldn't need to check the map again between the portrait and her destination. "Mischief managed," she whispered and tapped the parchment with her wand. The parchment cleared and she shrunk it down to fit in her pocket before hurrying down the stairs.

"You're late," Malfoy chided as he emerged from behind a pillar.

"Harry and Ron were in the common room," she said, not wanting to go into detail.

"Potter didn't follow you?"

"No," she replied, watching as he looked around to make sure the coast was clear. "He stayed behind, Malfoy. Trust me."

He turned his attention to her and she realized how close he was standing. She had been so used to standing near Harry and Ron that she had never felt this small before. Malfoy's height was towering over her now. If it were before the incident, she would have been intimidated. Now… She shuddered and stepped back. He smirked before moving closer to the entrance. He paced in front of the room thrice until the door appeared. She followed him inside and her jaw dropped at the sight before her.

Piles and piles of stuff were everywhere. Some of the stacks reached the ceiling. The room was littered with nothing but junk. There were passageways to get around, but they were narrow. She swallowed as she took in the size of the room. For being so large she felt claustrophobic from the sheer amount of clutter.

"Granger."

It took a moment from when her eyes settled on him to the moment she actually saw him. From the tone of his voice she knew it hadn't been the first time he'd tried to get her attention. She let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding onto and then followed him through the chaos. Under normal circumstances she knew he would be teasing her relentlessly about her reaction to such disorder. Her fingers were already itching to tidy up the place.

When they stopped walking, Hermione immediately took stock of what was around them. She was looking for any clue as to what he had brought her to this place for, but he simply leaned against one of the tables and folded his hands in front of him. Being kept in the dark was irksome at best. Thankfully, she was spared from having to demand he speak up this time.

"My father messed up," he started. He didn't need to tell her when; she had been at the Department of Mysteries right alongside the elder Malfoy. "The Dark Lord told me that he would give me a chance to rectify my father's mistake. That if I succeeded, he would let us all live and Lucius would be forgiven."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat at the thought. She could hear the waver in his voice and noticed that his fingers had begun to tremble. Slowly, his hands unclasped and he began to roll up his left sleeve. She gasped and raised a hand to her lips. Tears clung to her lashes as she stared down at the Dark Mark on his forearm.

"He told me it was a high honor. That I should feel elated to be chosen."

She had been desperately hoping Harry was wrong in his theory that Malfoy was a Death Eater. To see the proof she was wrong with her own eyes broke her heart. Malfoy pushed his sleeve back down and clasped his hands in front of him again. "I'm so sorry, Draco," she whispered, wiping tears from her eyes.

The look he gave her broke her heart even further. She could see the shimmer in his eyes from his own unshed tears. He was surprised at her reaction. She knew he expected pity, disgust, and horror. Her response had none of those.

"My task is to kill Dumbledore."

From Harry's theories, she knew that already. But to have it confirmed by Malfoy himself smashed her already broken heart into little pieces. "Katie Bell and the poisoned mead," she whispered, clearing her throat. "Those were your attempts."

He inclined his head as he studied her reaction. "The school year's almost over, Granger. If I don't do it before the term ends…" His leg started to bounce from the nerves. "I have to do it."

"No," she said, the conviction in her voice surprised them both. "Voldemort is not going to get away with this. Your father put himself on this path with him, but that doesn't mean you should have to pay the price for his mistakes. You're sixteen!" she hissed. The anger in her gut made her entire body tremble. If she wasn't careful, her magic was sure to make a mess of this place too. She sucked in a few deep breaths in reign it in.

"Why do you care so much, Granger?"

The pain and disbelief in his voice made him seem younger. She closed the distance between them and laid a hand on his arm. "Because you didn't have a choice. You didn't ask for this; it was forced upon you. Just like it was forced upon all of us. No one should have to go through this, especially alone. Not even you." She sucked in a ragged breath. "Because I see the real you, Draco. Even if you don't, I do."

He didn't deserve her tears. They both knew that. But they weren't all for him. It was the injustice of the world around them that kept them flowing down her cheeks. As his right hand slowly slid up between them, she vowed to devote every possible moment of her time to figure out a way to save him from the hand he had been dealt. His fingers hesitated near her face for a moment before he closed the distance and cupped her cheek. The pad of his thumb swiped away her tears and she leaned in to his touch.

There would be plenty of time after for him to fill her in on his current plan for his task. For now, there was something more pressing that demanded their attention.

His hand moved back to the nape of her neck. His thumb pressed against her jaw and tilted her face up. He held her gaze as he leaned in and laid his lips over hers. She closed her eyes and pressed herself closer against him. She could taste her salty tears on their lips as he moved his mouth against hers. Her hands moved to rest gently on his waist as his left arm looped behind her to pull her even closer, his hand flattening against the small of her back.

Last time it felt as though the world would come crashing down around them if they didn't hurry. That their own bodies would implode in their need for release. Last time everything had been hot and heavy with no time to adjust.

This time, everything was different.

There was still a need that drove them forward, but it was simmering low in both of them instead of already boiling over the edge. Her skin sizzled and sparked from his touch; her entire body thrummed from just his kiss alone. His mouth moved slowly against hers, savoring the moment.

She felt his tongue dart out to swipe away the tears from their lips, tickling the seam of her mouth. She parted her lips when he did it a second time, granting his request to deepen the kiss. She melted against him as their tongues brushed one another as he explored her mouth, tasting every bit of her that he could reach.

Slowly, her hands moved in from his waist to the bottom of his shirt. One by one, she undid the buttons by pushing them through the loops. As much as she enjoyed ripping the last one open, her fingers refused to move any faster. When she got to the last button, she let her fingers dive beneath the fabric and push backwards, slowly peeling it down his arms. He shrugged out of it, momentarily letting go of her face to let it fall to the floor.

Her hands snaked up his back, lightly scraping here and there as she traced each dip of his muscles. Needing air, she gently pulled her lips from his and kissed her way to the spot at the base of his jaw. He shuddered and she felt his skin beneath her hands prickle with gooseflesh. She smiled against his jaw before moving her lips down his throat, over his clavicle, shoulders, and then the center of his chest. He sucked in a breath as he felt her reach lower to push at the waistband of his lounging pants.

Slowly she sank to her knees, taking his pants and boxers down with her. He stepped out of them as they pooled at his feet and sucked in a breath at the sight of Hermione kneeling before him. She saw his knuckles turn white from where they curled around the edge of the table behind him to keep himself upright.

Aside from the fact that Malfoy's throbbing member had been buried to the hilt inside her body not too long ago and the occasional glimpse she'd taken at the Burrow as a result of a too confined area, Hermione had never been this close to the male anatomy before. He hissed and muttered a string of curses under his breath as her hand came up to wrap around his shaft. As her tongue darted out curiously to lap up the pearlescent bead that wept from the tip, he reached down and pulled her back to her feet.

His lips captured hers again. The exploratory mood of the moment was still there, but the way he kissed her told her it wasn't going to last much longer. He moaned as his tongue swept over hers, tasting himself in the process. He gently spun her around so that the table pressed into her back.

He mimicked her movements to get her in the same state of undress as himself. His hands slid down her ribs, his thumbs brushing over the side of her breasts. The faint touch caused her to sigh into his mouth and he smirked in response. A wave of arousal coursed through her core as his fingers caressed her bare skin at the hem of her shirt. He tugged at the material until she lifted her arms up. He pulled it from her, baring her breasts to him.

He hummed in approval at the sight of her and leaned in to kiss between them. She arched her back when his hands lifted to cup her breasts, his thumbs running over the taut peaks of her nipples. He moved his head and brought one breast to his mouth, his lips closing over the bud. She let her head fall back as she moaned; his tongue laving at her in slow circles. She sighed from the loss of touch as he released her nipple with a small pop and began kissing his way down her stomach.

Copying her again, he dropped to his knees, pulling her drawstring pants down along with her knickers. His fingers trailed down her skin in a way that had her trembling by the time he helped her step out of her bottoms. He dipped in to kiss her knees and then worked his way up, alternating legs as he went. She shivered and moaned loudly as he kissed around her core. When he stood back up, he pulled her close and kissed her; his arousal throbbing against her hip.

He released her briefly. One moment, he reached behind her and swept the table clear of clutter and the next she was sitting on the edge of the table with him wedged between her thighs. She had expected him to enter her then, but he reached down and ran his fingers through her folds. This time, instead of pulling back right away, he took his time. He drew obscure patterns on her clit and her hips bucked while she whimpered into his mouth.

She pulled her mouth roughly from his and arched her hips up wantonly, chasing her release as it built inside of her. His forehead dropped to hers as his other hand reached up to palm softly at her breast. "Dr-Draco…" He placed gentle kisses along her temple before finding her ear. She closed her eyes as her world started to shatter. "Draco, _please…_"

"Come for me," he breathed, his breath warming her ear.

She clung to him; nails digging into his skin as she cried out from her release. He continued to rub against her clit until she had completely crested. Only when she opened her eyes and smiled hazily at him did he move his hand to his cock and brought it forward to position himself at her entrance. She pulled his lips to hers as permission and he dove into her. The kiss swallowed their simultaneous moan as he buried himself to the hilt inside her core. He stilled to let her adjust and it wasn't until she moved her hips seeking more did he oblige.

At first, he took his time with her, drawing all the way out only to drive himself all the way back in. After a few strokes, the pace increased. Whereas last time the goal had been to come hard and fast, this time was all about slow and steady. Hermione matched each of his thrusts with her own. She could feel the tension of another release building and swallowed hard as Malfoy reached down and began to trace steady circles against her clit.

"Gods, yes," she gasped. "_There_, I'm-" Her words were stolen from her as her body tightened and then crested. She could feel her core fluttering against his cock; her walls pulling him in even farther.

"Fuck, Hermione, you're-"

The sound of her given name on his lips ripped a third orgasm from her that neither of them were prepared for. He jerked and spasmed against her as his cock twitched, filling her core with his release. Her forehead dropped to his shoulder as she panted for air and his chin rested on the top of her head. They stayed in that position for what felt like an eternity. It was well after his cock had softened and slipped from her body; their combined slick seeping from her core, that he stepped away from her.

He bent for his wand and used it to clean them both up. He then gathered her clothes first and handed them to her. They redressed in silence and after a moment of awkward tension, he reached out to make her look at him. He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. Even the realization that they'd just made love to one another wasn't enough to pry them apart. They would both think about it later; she knew that, but for the first time in her life, Hermione allowed herself to live in the moment and enjoy it.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This broke my heart to write.**

**...Happy New Year!**

**I'm so sorry.**

**FOUR**

For weeks, Hermione spent every waking moment coming up with idea after idea to help Draco with his problem. He had shot every single one of them down. It was always some combination of too much risk on either his mother or her. Anything he suggested ended poorly for him; something that she shot down every time.

After their first tryst in the Room of Requirement, he had told her about the Vanishing Cabinet. From her own studies of it, she knew he was almost done repairing it. She offered him no advice on how to fix it faster; it was the only thing they agreed on. It was all she could do not to blast the thing to pieces with a well-placed Bombarda.

They had spent that night on the floor in front of the device. She was sure neither of them had meant to linger for so long, but the events of their meeting had drained them emotionally and physically. The room looked the same in the morning as it had the night before as there weren't any windows. She had had no idea what time it was; how long they had been away from their dorms.

_Under normal circumstances, she would have found it strange to wake to Malfoy staring at her. His eyes had been cast down to where his fingers were stroking the curve of her hip where her shirt had ridden up through the night. A smile had graced his lips after his eyes slowly traveled up and discovered she was awake._

_"I'm sorry about the first time," he said, his voice unusually gruff in the morning._

_"It's not like either of us went to the bathroom expecting to shag," she replied._

_"Still," he said, his fingers ghosting up her side, under her shirt. "It should have never gone down like that. It should have been like last night. And with someone you actually wanted to shag."_

_Her hand rested on his forearm, stilling his movement. "It's fine."_

_"If it was fine, what were you doing at the infirmary the next morning with Weaselette in tow?" His eyes darkened as shame reddened his cheeks. "I hurt you."_

_She tightened her hold on his forearm when he tried to pull away. "You saw the bruises. Ginny helped me cover them up. And I__ wasn't on the potion and there wasn't time to place a contraceptive charm so she told me Madame Pomfrey had emergency remedies. Just in case." She wet her lips and reached up to cup his face delicately. "And yes, it did hurt and while I would have liked the consent to be a little clearer at the time, it _was_ there. I promise, Malfoy; I'm fine."_

_He paled for a moment and she heard him swallow. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."_

_She nodded and gave him a small smile followed by a sigh. "We should get back," she told him. "We've been gone far too long already."_

_ "Then what's the harm in a few more minutes, Granger?"_

_Her smile turned into a smirk of her own and she nodded again. She then took her own time studying his face. For years they had exchanged nothing more than fleeting glances. This was the first time either of them had the real opportunity to look at the other without anyone seeing. They both made sure to memorize everything they could. And then to prove that he had no intention of going anywhere for quite some time, he had pulled her over top of him to explore their newfound comradery again._

_ And then again once more before taking their leave._

The weeks that followed had settled into a routine. During the week her days were filled with classes. They ignored each other as per usual for the most part, but occasionally one would catch the other staring or they would take advantage of the too crowded halls to brush against the other. When she wasn't in class, she would speed through her assignments so that she could concentrate on formulating a plan.

Nights found them in the Room of Requirement. At first, they kept their meetings short and to the point. It wasn't until he told her that he had made progress on the last hurdle for the cabinet that she broke down and they sought solace in one another only they knew how to give.

Hermione woke on the last day of June in a cold sweat. A pit of dread had settled in her stomach and no matter what she did, she couldn't shake the bad feeling. It had seeped into her bones and made her skin tingle with anxiety. Something was going to happen and it wasn't going to be good.

With each minute that ticked by, each passing hour, the dread inside of her grew. Breakfast had tasted like ash in her mouth. What little bit of it she had been able to swallow didn't stay down for long. She couldn't concentrate in classes. She wasn't even sure she heard any of the lectures. She didn't even attempt to eat lunch.

Harry's noticeable absence from the Great Hall at lunch did nothing to ease her fears.

Her worry increased by a thousand when she received a note from Malfoy demanding she leave class to meet him in the bathroom. She abandoned her things and left without even asking permission from the professor. Ron called after her, but she never looked back. She had never run so fast and hard for anything in her life. By the time she reached the second-floor, she had to pause a moment to catch her breath.

Malfoy was there when she threw the bathroom door open with a bang. She found herself being shoved against it roughly before she even had the chance to close it. He pressed his body tight against hers as his lips tugged at hers in desperation. Her hands fisted his robes, pulling him closer. The way he wrapped his arms around her made her heart skip a beat, but it was his whispers of sorrow that made her shove him away.

"Malfoy, what-"

"Dumbledore took Potter somewhere. They're gone."

She swallowed hard and gave a curt nod. They had been preparing for this moment all year. Harry had been waiting for Dumbledore to find the next piece of the puzzle. But that didn't explain how Malfoy knew or why he was looking at her as if the world was ending.

"_No_," she whispered as the realization ripped through her. It turned her blood to ice. Her heart leapt up to her throat. A hand pressed against her stomach as nausea washed over her. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Malfoy, tears clouding her vision. "No. It's not-"

"I fixed it," he admitted.

The words made her flinch as if he had physically slapped her. "When?"

"A few days ago." A strangled cry escaped her lips and he swallowed hard as he scrubbed at his face. "I received a missive this morning. They know it's fixed and they're coming."

She crossed the distance between them and hurled herself at him. He caught her and held her tight enough to force the breath from her lungs. "They can't!" she cried. "We haven't figured out a plan. We could-"

"Stop, Granger," he demanded, pressing a kiss to her temple. "It's too late."

"No!" she shouted, pulling from his grasp enough to shove at his shoulders. She beat at him with every word, fighting the urge to reach for her wand and keep him from going anywhere. "I can save you! We can alter the cabinet. We can hex them as they walk out of it. We can… We…"

He caught her when her hyperventilation caused her to collapse. He did his best to comfort her, but his body shook just as much as hers. They knew time had run out. That the last grains of sand in the hourglass were about to join the rest at the bottom.

"Granger," his whisper was a desperate plea for her to understand. She heard the crack in his voice as he said her name; felt his tears wet her hair as he held her to him. "I have to do this."

She shook her head as a guttural sob tore from her throat.

His arms tightened around her in a way that was sure to break her. She was so small; so fragile in his arms as she cried her heart out. For him. Her mind went into overdrive as she tried to think of a scenario that would get him out of his task. But for the first time, her mind failed her. With more time, she was sure she could save him from Voldemort's clutches. But as time slipped through their fingers like water, there was nothing she could do but prepare for the moment he left to carry out his task.

He tilted her face up and kissed her hard enough to bruise her mouth. She returned the kiss with just as much force as he doled out, never wanting it to end. Knowing that when it did, she'd never get to experience this again. "I'm so sorry," she whispered repeatedly into the kiss. "Draco, I-"

"_Don't_," he hissed, breaking their kiss to rest his forehead against her. "Please don't finish that sentence," he begged, his voice cracking as he sobbed along with her.

She nodded and pressed her lips back against his. Tears coated their tongues as they tasted each other. One day, she promised herself. When the war was over and she was free to do so, she would find him and say what he wouldn't let her say now. She knew with every fiber of her being that no matter what happened, her feelings would never change.

"Hermione," he breathed into her mouth.

She knew he would stay if he could. She could tell by the way he kissed her. By his tears. By the way he clung to her. She could feel him starting to pull away and she fought to keep him where he was. With his next words, she shattered completely.

"They're waiting for me."

The loss of his arms around her was so quick it made her sway on her feet. She didn't even see him leave due to the tears that blurred her vision. She only heard the door slam shut. The moment the sound reached her ears, she dropped to her knees. She bit down on her knuckle as she brought her hand to her mouth to scream into. Her magic sizzled and crackled against the air, threatening to destroy everything it touched.

When there was nothing left in her, her tears dried and her throat was raw and aching, she sucked in a breath and pushed herself to unsteady feet. She stared at her reflection in the mirror across the way. She had made herself a promise moments ago; one that she would never be able to keep if she let this get her down.

She shook her head, lifted her chin, and squared her shoulders. There was a war to be had and she would do everything in her power to see Voldemort dead at the end of it.


	5. Chapter 5

**FIVE**

This was the second fastest Hermione had ever run. Her feet were quick to carry her through the forest as she tried to evade the Snatchers. She stumbled as she landed on the outside of her foot and her toe caught a fallen branch. She forced herself to keep running despite the pain that sprang forth from her instep. She aimed her wand over her shoulder and let loose a few more spells in the hopes one hit her target.

A stitch formed her in side from running, but she couldn't stop. The moment she did, it would all be over. She had to keep going; keep pushing. She knew Ron and Harry were doing their best as well. She forced air into her lungs in short bursts, trying her best to ignore the burn of her lungs.

A scream pierced the air of the forest and it took a minute for her to realize that it was her own. A rogue spell hit her calf and forced her to her knees. She tried to shake it off and get up, but her body refused. Tears threatened to fall, but she blinked them away. Her throat began to tighten as panic settled in.

To her left she saw Ron get tackled to the ground. His struggle with the two Snatchers was short lived, ending with a swift kick to his ribs. She looked away as he grunted in pain.

To her right, Harry tripped over himself at the sight of her and Ron. She took in the sight of the Snatchers only a few paces from apprehending them as well and aimed her wand at Harry. She fired the worst Stinging Jinx she could muster and he screamed as her magic hit him in the face. She looked away as his face began to distort.

In the span of two breaths, the Snatchers were upon them. One of them hauled her to her feet and yanked her head back with a fistful of hair. A yelp of surprise tore through her throat as Fenrir Greyback's hot breath fanned over her face. His smile was cruel as he stared down at her. "What do we have here?" he asked, tossing her back down.

She found herself between Harry and Ron; the three of them surrounded by Greyback's band of Snatchers. One of them pointed a wand at Harry's temple and clucked his tongue. "Somebody spoke the Dark Lord's name," the man's voice practically sung with glee. "Was it you, ugly?" he asked with a cackle. "Name?"

"Vernon Dudley," Harry stated, his voice garbled from the power of Hermione's spell.

The Snatchers exchanged glances and made him prove his heritage. Harry claimed Slytherin and answered all the questions they asked of him. Ron wasn't so lucky. He stated he was Stan Shunpike from the Knight Bus, but one of them knew the real Stan and blew his cover.

"Looks more like a Weasley if you ask me," a Snatcher sneered, pushing Ron into Hermione.

"Barny Weasley," he muttered. "Cousin to the Weasley family you're thinking of."

"And you, love?" A Snatcher had sunk to his haunches before her, reaching down to grasp her chin to force her to look up at him. "You look familiar."

"Penelope Clearwater," she said, giving the first name that came to mind.

He stared at her for a moment, his black eyes searching hers until recognition sparked. "You're the Mudblood," he whispered and Hermione tensed. His fingers slowly traveled down her throat and she flinched away from his touch as best she could. He got to his feet and looked at Greyback, pointing at her. "That's Potter's Mudblood. I recognize her from the Prophet. I recon that's Potter there," he said, nodding to Harry. "I bet it was your idea to maim him, wasn't it, love?" he asked, eyes flickering to Hermione before looking at Greyback again.

"We'll take them directly to the Manor," Greyback stated. "The Dark Lord is sure to honor us impeccably if we bring them directly to him."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Manor. Cold dread settled into her bones. She knew the Manor they were talking about was Malfoy's. He had told her Voldemort had set up shop there after his return at the end of their Fourth Year. She clutched at Ron as nausea pitched her to the side.

She hadn't allowed herself to think about Malfoy since the night of Dumbledore's death. Since the moment her time to devise a plan to save him had expired and he left her alone in the bathroom, she had put her sole concentration into her mission with Ron and Harry. To stopping Voldemort. Tears prickled her eyes as the Snatchers dragged the three of them to their feet. She closed her eyes as the Snatcher holding her disapparated; her hope of Malfoy not being at home carried over when they appeared at the edge of a daunting fortress.

They marched forward and Hermione felt the magic of wards washing over her skin. They stopped only at the wrought iron gate where Narcissa Malfoy and Peter Petigrew awaited them. She was staring at the lot of them with disdain as the gates opened to receive them. "What are you doing bringing prisoners here?" she asked, looking directly at Greyback.

"We think we have him," Greyback growled, shoving Harry a step forward. "Potter."

Narcissa stared at Harry as if trying to decide for herself if it were true. She took a deep breath and gave a slight nod. "Petigrew, fetch Draco. Have him meet this lot in the Drawing Room." Petigrew scurried away immediately to follow orders and the Snatchers followed Narcissa to their destination.

Hermione felt bile rise in her throat at the thought of seeing Malfoy again. She had spent nearly a year fighting not to think of the hope that she'd see him again, but in the small moments she let her mind wander, she had never thought their paths would cross again in this manner.

Hermione pulled herself from her thoughts when they came to a stop. The Snatcher holding her stayed back a few steps from the ones holding Ron and Harry. His breath was hot as it fanned over her shoulder again and again. His hand crept up her side until his fingers ghosted over her abdomen under her shirt. "You'll be such a sweet reward," he purred. She shuddered at the words, squeezed her eyes shut, and started to struggle against him.

However, as her eyes opened she found her gaze locked with a familiar grey stare from across the room. Malfoy was being led in by his father and his aunt, but he stopped in his tracks at the sight of her. Memories of those eyes staring at her as she woke up next to him; of the way they dilated when he came undone while buried in her body- all of it was gone. Now, his eyes were raging storm clouds that threatened to tear them all asunder.

"Draco, come," Narcissa said, beckoning her son forward. "They think they found the Potter boy."

Lucius perked up at that as Bellatrix wet her lips in malicious glee. "The Dark Lord will be pleased," Lucius said, slinging his arm over Malfoy's shoulder. "We should call him."

"The rewards will be ours," Greyback said. "Seeing as it was us that caught him."

"No one is calling him unless we're sure it's the right boy!" Bellatrix screeched. She gave a thin smile at Draco and stretched out her hand to them. "You attended Hogwarts with him, Draco. Is that him? Is that Harry Potter?"

"I… I don't know," Draco whispered, his eyes still hadn't moved from Hermione.

"Take a closer look, then," Lucius demanded, forcing him forward. "His face is a little disfigured, but I would say it's him. Don't you agree, Son?"

Draco's eyes drifted down to where Greyback had forced Harry to his knees and yanked his head back by his hair. "I don't see a scar," his voice tight.

Hermione felt the Snatcher's hand slither higher up her shirt, the tips of his fingers touching the edge of her bra. "That's 'cause this one hexed him," the Snatcher holding her said. Draco's eyes traveled up from Harry to her and at seeing the movement, threw a murderous look to the man behind her. The Snatcher was too busy sniffing her hair to notice.

"This one admitted to being a Weasley," another Snatcher said, giving Ron a hard shove.

Lucius studied Ron and directed Draco's attention to the red-head. "Is this the Weasley that's friends with Potter?"

Draco shrugged. "The hair's the right shade of red," he muttered. "They all look the same to me."

Relief threatened to break her resolve as she realized Draco refused to give them up. She didn't dare hope that he would be able to help them get out, but he was at least buying her time.

She should have known better to think time would ever be on her side.

"And the girl is the Mudblood from the papers," Greyback announced.

Draco looked at her. This time Hermione saw fear underneath all the anger. There was no way he would be able to deny it. Everyone in this room knew who she was. Ron's theory of being a different Weasley was plausible and Harry's identity would remain a secret so long as the hex stayed in place.

But Hermione…

"It's her," Lucius confirmed, his hand coming to rest on Draco's shoulder. "Miss Granger, yes? It would be nice to teach the Mudblood who bested my son at every turn a lesson she can't forget."

"Draco, call him," Bellatrix demanded.

Draco paled as he stared at her. She clamped her lips together to keep herself from betraying either of them. The sound of Bellatrix and Lucius arguing over who was to give commands inside the Manor faded to the background as Hermione not only struggled against the Snatcher's hand now on her breast over her bra, but the look in Draco's eyes as they turned glassy with unshed tears.

A scream tore through the air and the chaos that followed happened so fast, Hermione barely registered what was happening. Soon Petigrew was being ordered to remove the Snatchers Bellatrix had stunned while Greyback was hauling Ron and Harry away towards the cellars. Hermione's eyes went wide as she realized the Sword of Gryffindor was in Bellatrix's left hand with her wand in her right. It was aimed at Hermione and she felt herself being lifted off the floor and carried through the air until she was close enough to Bellatrix to feel the heat of her body through their clothes.

"Where did you get this sword?" Bellatrix asked, her eyes turning pure black with rage.

"We found it," she bit out, the magic holding her up was crushing her.

"Liar!" The shriek echoed off the walls of the room. Hermione sucked in a breath as the hold on her loosened. She had barely hit the floor before Bellatrix screeched the Unforgiveable Curse at her. "_Crucio!_"

The pain that coursed through her body was the worst thing she had ever experienced. Even Malfoy's leaving hadn't hurt this much. It was as if her body was boiling from the inside out. As if a thousand tiny needles were stabbing her repeatedly out of synch. The scream that tore from her lips left her throat raw and when the curse stopped, she could taste blood on her tongue.

She hadn't even been aware that her body had arched off the ground until she collapsed back onto it. She closed her eyes against the pain and curled in on herself, trying her best to get control of her breathing.

"What else did you take from my vault, you filthy little Mudblood?!"

The curse hit her again and Hermione thought it might be slightly worse the second time around. She had hoped the first round would have numbed her a little, but she was sorely mistaken. When her body dropped again she was choking on her own blood and large tears were spilling down her face to wet her hair.

"We weren't in your vault," she whispered repeatedly.

Her body had barely lifted off the floor for the third time before she was back on it again. Bellatrix has retracted the curse as quickly as she had cast it. Hermione's vision swam, but she saw a pair of shiny black shoes that didn't belong to Bellatrix stepping towards her. "Do you want to have a bit of fun, Draco?" the woman asked.

Hermione whimpered which sparked a laugh from the older witch.

"Come, come," she ushered, moving to bring Malfoy closer still.

"Bella," came Narcissa's voice, full of warning. "He will do no such thing."

"Your husband states this creature robbed him of his rightful place at the head of his class. You would deny him vengeance for such thievery? The Dark Lord would be pleased to see him participate."

"She's right, Narcissa," Lucius said, but wherever he was in the room, Hermione couldn't see. "It would be good for him."

Bellatrix's laugh made Hermione cringe. "Go on, Draco. Put her in her place."

Malfoy's movements were sluggish as he took his time stepping over her. After a moment of hesitation, he looked down. She blinked up at him and shook her head. "P-please," she begged, not sure if she was coherent or not.

His fingers flexed nervously on his wand as he stared down at her. His eyes were pleading with her to forgive him as his arm slowly raised. He angled his wand and whispered, "_Crucio_."

Hermione's eyes squeezed shut as her body bowed upwards in pain. She knew she was screaming, but she couldn't hear any of it. All she could do was imagine that she was writhing beneath Malfoy under different circumstances. That it was his body that filled her own, driving into her again and again and not his magic threatening to rip her in two.

She moaned in pain as the curse lifted, withdrawing the worst effects. Malfoy stared down at her and she saw the tremors in his hands as his wand arm fell back in place at his side.

"It's not real," she managed to get out, her throat burning against her words. "S-sword. It's f-fake."

Bellatrix scooped up the sword and looked at someone Hermione couldn't see. "Get the goblin. He'll be able to tell."

She heard footsteps and in the space of a heartbeat, Draco dropped to his knees at her side. The stoic, emotionless mask was gone from his face as his shaking hands reached for hers. She flinched involuntarily at his touch and he withdrew for a moment. "I'm sorry," he whispered, looking up to where his family had stepped out of the room. "I'm so sorry." He wiped away her tears and brushed the hair out of her face. "I never… Fuck. Hermione. I'm so sorry."

She blinked a few times, her head foggy from the torture. Where there had been only one Malfoy a moment ago, there were now two. Each slow blink she took, another Malfoy appeared. His hand patted her cheek lightly as he kept checking the door.

"Stay with me, Granger," he pleaded. "You can't pass out. Not yet. They need you. I ne-" He withdrew immediately and was back to towering over her. "She's trying to faint," he informed his aunt as she returned to the room with the goblin from their cellar close behind her.

"See to it that she doesn't," Bellatrix instructed and handed the goblin the sword. "She claims it's fake. Is it?"

The goblin studied the sword for what felt like an eternity before he inclined his head. "A forgery. A very convincing one at that," he answered. "Whoever made this knows the real one very well."

Bellatrix smiled and stuck out her left arm, pressing the tip of her wand against the Dark Mark. "The Dark Lord will be here soon. Petigrew, fetch Greyback and tell him to collect his reward."

For a moment the world went black and when Hermione came to, she was on her feet. Someone had their arm wrapped around her waist, holding her up. She could feel something cold and sharp against her throat and the room stank of battle. She could hear voices. Bellatrix. Hers was the closest. She realized it was near her ear; she was the one holding Hermione up.

Her eyes flickered to the side to see Malfoy watching her with bated breath. Her gaze slid again and she gasped at the sight of Harry and Ron with their hands up in surrender. Narcissa and Malfoy had wands trained on them.

The first clear sound that reached her ears was a grinding one. Almost like metal on metal and it was coming from above. She took a deep breath and looked up to see Dobby sitting on the chandelier. The moment her lashes kissed her cheek to blink, the word erupted into chaos again.

The chandelier crashed towards the ground. Bellatrix shoved her away. Another pair of arms wound around her and when she could see again, she found Malfoy holding her tight. "You have to go, Granger," he whispered to her. "Now."

She clutched at his shirt as realization set in. She felt a hand at her back, tugging her from Malfoy, but she stubbornly clung to him. "No," she rasped. She wanted him to come with her, but the words wouldn't form.

"Go," he demanded and released her, stumbling back.

She had enough time to inhale as Ron pulled her into his arms and took a wand from Harry's outstretched hand. Her eyes met Malfoy's once more in time to see him land on his rear on the floor. By the time she was ready to exhale, she felt the world shrink in on herself and when it expanded, her breath let out into the salty sea air instead of the Malfoy Manor.

* * *

With the exception of the waves crashing against the shore in the distance, Shell Cottage was quiet. Too quiet. Her body was demanding sleep, but each time she closed her eyes to try, she pictured Malfoy standing above her; felt his magic wreaking havoc on her body. So instead of reliving her darkest hour, Hermione had come outside and sat beside Dobby's freshly made grave.

The potions Bill and Fleur had given her had done their job. Her throat wasn't so raw that she tasted blood just from breathing and her body had been placed in a calm façade. There was still a trace of tremors that manifested when she was struck with a memory of her torture. But as long as she stayed awake, she was numb.

She had seen Harry step onto the back porch and do a double take at the sight of her in the distance. She knew he would join her even before he began to approach. She continued to stare out at the water even after he sat next to her. She shifted closer to him and dropped her head to rest on his shoulder. He reached between them and laid his hand over hers.

"It's too quiet," he said, echoing her thoughts from earlier.

She nodded in agreement. "The silence is deafening," she muttered.

"He didn't want to turn us in."

Hermione swallowed hard and lifted her head from his shoulder. Her hand pulled away from his as she wrung her hands in her lap. As hard as it was to not think of their brief moment at the Manor, it was harder to keep herself from going over various worst-case scenarios of what ifs regarding what happened to Malfoy once Voldemort arrived and they weren't there to be handed over.

"He's alive."

His words brought down her resolve and fresh tears streamed down her cheek. Relief flooded her system, breaking through her defenses. "Y-you saw?

He nodded. "Do you want to know what happened?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "Tell me everything."

Harry recounted what he had witnessed. He told her how Greyback, three Snatchers, the three Malfoys, and Bellatrix had stood before Voldemort in the drawing room. That Voldemort's rage had manifested on a grand scale when he realized the eight individuals before him had let Harry Potter slip through their fingers. That Bellatrix, his most devoted and skilled Death Eater, had been bested by a House Elf and three teenagers.

The way Harry had described her punishment made Hermione want to empty her stomach right there on the sand.

Greyback and the Snatchers had been Crucioed and then sent away. Lucius had been punished almost as severely as Bellatrix. Narcissa had been let off easy as he deemed her the only one who hadn't disappointed him that evening.

Harry hesitated before he told her what happened to Malfoy. Hermione kept her eyes open and glued to the waves lapping at the shore. As Lucius had predicted, Voldemort had been happy to learn that he had taken part in Hermione's torture. His punishment wasn't as bad as it could have been otherwise, but it was still hard to hear.

Hermione could feel Harry's eyes on her, burning into her side. "Did he really Crucio you?"

She nodded, her body jerking as she fought the memory from surfacing. With time, she would be able to replace the recollection of torture with earlier memories of Malfoy, but for now, all she could do was shove them away. "I think he was stepping forward to do something else, but Bel-" She swallowed, unable to say the witch's name. "But _she _thought he wanted to join in. If he hadn't, they would have killed us both," she said, hoping to convince herself as much as Harry.

A thousand questions burned at his lips as they parted; she could tell from the look on his face. It was the same look she wore more often than not. But it was her fresh onslaught of choking sobs that made him press his lips together and keep his questions to himself.

She still had hope that one day she would be able to say what she wanted to Malfoy; what he wouldn't let her say before, but there was nothing to stop her from confessing it to Harry as he held her. All the while, he remained silent, letting her say it until her words failed to repeat it anymore and she sobbed herself to sleep in his arms.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for reading this little fic of mine! I'm definitely sad to see this one end. So far, it was my favorite to write and share with all of you.**

**Enjoy! :)**

**SIX**

The last time she had seen Draco Malfoy was during the Battle of Hogwarts five years ago. She had seen him twice that day, the most memorable being in the Room of Requirement while the second had only been when his parents had called for him. She was too distraught over Harry's supposed death to really see Malfoy in that moment. Even now as she sat with Harry and Ron behind the podium where Minister Shacklebolt was giving the annual remembrance speech, the memory came to her.

_They crossed the threshold and Hermione sucked in a breath. It was the same room Malfoy had used for the Vanishing Cabinet. There was too much junk piled to the ceiling to be any other iteration of the magical space. But she couldn't let her mind wander down memory lane. The three of them had to find the diadem; quickly._

_ She was determined to prove that once, just once, she would manage to do something before time ran out._

_ They split up. She kept her eyes peeled for anything that could possibly be what they were looking for. It was an impossible task to be sure, but the fate of the wizarding world was counting on them to find it. She couldn't fail again._

_ She stopped short at the sound of voices. Slowly, her feet carried her forward. With each step, the voices became clearer. She could hear Harry's frustration. She jumped at the sound of things crashing to the floor. The pile to her left slid and she stepped away from it before it took her with it._

_ "Stop! The Dark Lord wants him alive-"_

_ Her heart stopped at the sound of _his _voice._

_ "And he will be. I'm just planning to rough him up a bit is all. Dark Lord didn't say we couldn't hurt him."_

_ As she moved to find Harry, she barely registered that it was Crabbe speaking. "Take your best-"_

_ "_Crucio!"_ Crabbe bellowed._

_ Hermione arrived just as Harry dodged the curse, flinging a hex at the Slytherin trio. "Mudblood!" Goyle shouted._

_ Malfoy's eyes widened as Crabbe flourished his wand at her. "_Avada Kadavara_!" he screamed before Malfoy could do anything to stop him._

_ Hermione threw up a shield charm to deflect the Killing Curse before it was even half way to her. In rapid succession, she fired Full Body-Bind curses that only hit Goyle followed by Disarming Charms and Stunning Spells, both of which hit Malfoy and Crabbe in tandem._

_ "Oi, that's my girlfriend!" Ron yelled at them as he brandished his wand._

_ Malfoy's face paled as he stared at her. She winced as she recalled Ron kissing her moments ago in the Chamber of Secrets. She had kissed him back briefly and it nearly destroyed her, but there had been no time to explain to Ron that she now longer wanted that from him. That it was someone else's lips she craved._

_ Malfoy turned away from her and ran with Crabbe as Ron chased them._

_"Mione, the diadem!" Harry called from a large stack of junk Crabbe had knocked over. She had pushed away her thoughts of the pain on Malfoy's face and dove head first into her task at hand._

_ They had barely found the damn thing before Ron returned screaming about fire. Chaos erupted afterwards and they had narrowly managed to not only escape, but destroy the fifth Horcrux._

Her eyes refocused on the present as she spied the reason for her trip down memory lane. _He_ was standing at the back of the room next to his mother. She knew he had been released from Azkaban just before this past Christmas and while she had always known their paths would cross again someday, she didn't think it would happen _here_. Not like this.

There was already a stir beginning in the crowd. Heads were turning to look at Malfoy and his mother. This was their first public event since his release. Their eyes met across the crowd and she was glad she was seated. If she hadn't been, her legs would have surely given way beneath her.

Hermione went on autopilot as Kingsley finished his speech and turned the attention to the Golden Trio. Harry, as usual, did most of the talking. Each year his speech got shorter and shorter. They were all ready for the novelty of their fame to wear off so they could go about life as they wanted.

Her eyes never left Malfoy's; not even as she said her lines. They didn't require much concentration as they remained the same every year.

His gaze narrowed at her as Ron's hand pressed against the small of her back to guide her off stage. She lost sight of Malfoy the moment the camera bulbs started flashing in her face. When the official part of the ceremony was over, Harry brought her and Ron a flute of champagne. All three of them drank until there was nothing left. Ron smiled at them and slipped through the crowd in search of his date. Harry nudged her to get her attention as it wandered the crowd in search of Malfoy again.

"He slipped out when the cameras started."

For a moment she considered feigning ignorance, but her expression gave her away. It would always give her away. "I don't …"

"Yes you do," he stated. "It's the reason you never pursued anything with Ron. With anyone for that matter. You can tell me it's not true until you're blue in the face, Hermione, but you'll never fool me. Not about this. Why do you think I saved him from the Fiendfyre?"

Her heart leapt into her throat and her breath hitched. This was her moment. The one she had been waiting for; the one she had promised herself she would made sure she got.

A smile took hold of her lips as she surged forward and dropped a kiss to Harry's cheek. She handed him her empty flute and spun towards the entrance of the Great Hall. She slipped through the crowd, ignoring several people who called to get her attention. The moment she stepped over the threshold, her heart skipped a beat and she slipped out of her shoes, tossing them to the side. She gathered the skirt of her dress in one hand and moved forward with a purpose. With each step, she picked up her pace until she found herself running like it was Sixth Year all over again.

Her heart was slamming wildly against her ribs as she paused outside the second-floor bathroom; hand poised on the handle. She counted to ten to get her breathing under control and then pushed the door open. It groaned under her touch and she stepped inside, closing it softly behind her.

His head lifted from where it was bowed in front of the mirror and their eyes locked in his reflection. He turned around slowly, leaning against the sink. He gave her a small smile as his eyes raked over her from head to toe more than once, before finally locking onto hers. "I wasn't sure you'd come."

"I wasn't sure I would either," she admitted.

"You look good, Granger."

"Thank you," she said, a smile tipping her lips. "You clean up pretty well yourself."

Small talk had never been their thing. Before the first incident in this very room, the only time they had ever spoken was when he teased her just to get a rise out of her. Even afterwards, their conversation had been limited to ways to get him out of his servitude to Voldemort. There hadn't been any conversation when she had failed her own task of saving him. No. Talking had never been their strong suit.

But she knew what was.

She crossed the room, much like she had done back then. This time, however, there was no hesitation. She knew what she wanted and as much as it terrified her to admit it, she wasn't going to let him slip away from her again. She reached for him and he relaxed at her touch. Her hands rested flat on his chest as she looked up at him; his hands went straight to her hips.

"What about Weasley?" he asked, his hands slowly traveling up her ribs, stopping at her breasts. She could feel his fingers twitch as he resisted the urge to touch them.

"What _about _Ron?" she challenged.

His brow quirked. "I distinctly remember him chasing after me, hexes blazing, claiming you as his girlfriend."

"A misunderstanding."

He leaned in, his nose tracing the shell of her ear. "Is that right?"

She swallowed hard and curled her fingers around the lapels of his suit jacket. "He kissed me just moments before. He took it to mean something else. I told him the truth when the dust settled."

She felt a rush of desire pool in her knickers at the lustful purr of his voice as he asked, "And what truth would that be, Granger?"

"That my heart belongs to another."

"Does it still?" he questioned. He might be a master at hiding his feelings, but she heard the waver in his voice. He couldn't hide them from her. She would always see the real Malfoy.

She pulled back enough to look him in the eye. Her right hand came up to rest against his cheek, her thumb brushing idly at his skin. She remembered their encounters here in this room. This room had seen some intense moments between them; had taken so much from both of them. She was determined to leave a good memory behind.

"Will you let me say it now?" she pleaded.

"Only if you promise to never stop saying it."

She nodded with earnest and blinked against unshed tears. "I love you, Draco Malfoy."

His lips found hers and she felt his tear slide over her thumb. "I love you too, Hermione Granger," he whispered against her lips.

He pulled her flush against him then and deepened the kiss, tasting every bit of her mouth that he could reach. She groaned at the feel of his tongue brushing against her own. She hadn't realized how much she missed the taste of him. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you back then," she said, breaking the kiss in desperate need air. "But I promise to never let anything else happen to you."

"It was an impossible task, Hermione, and it was wrong of me to even ask you to attempt it," he said, his hand sinking into her hair to pull her back. "And I never want to hear you apologize to me ever again. Not after everything I've done to you." Her thumb wiped at another tear that tracked down his cheek. "I never meant to hurt you. Not the first time, not when I left you here, and especially not at the Manor."

"I know," she said.

"When I stepped forward, I-"

"Draco," she whispered, smiling up at him. "I know," she repeated. "I never thought for one second that's what you intended by stepping towards me."

He nodded and lowered his head to close the distance between them, capturing her lips with his own. Her fingers tightened on his face to keep him in place as her lips parted immediately, eager to taste him again. They devoured one another, the flood of their desire breaking their respective dams.

They moved as if they shared one mind. As if they were no longer two separate entities, but two halves of the same whole. His lips never left hers as their hands moved with lightening speed, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake. A gasp escaped her lips as her back hit the cold metal of a stall.

Draco reached down to the apex of her thighs. Her hips arched in response, body begging for his touch. She had forgotten how good his touch felt and hissed in pleasure as his fingers slithered effortlessly between her glistening folds. He teased her bundle of nerves until she had to break the kiss to pant for air. When she began to whimper in her tell-tale way, he pulled away only to grab her thighs and lift her.

Hermione jumped eagerly to help the process, landing with her legs wrapped around his hips. His cock was hard and pulsating as it rested between her thighs. She smirked as she pressed her lips to his again when she felt him twitch. He adjusted her and then reached down to guide himself into her body.

They both groaned in unison. Her head fell back against the stall, the resulting metal clang echoing around the stone walls of the room. Draco's head dropped to her shoulder, showering her skin with wet, open mouthed kisses as he pressed into her, filling her completely.

"_Sweet Circe_, Hermione, you're so tight."

The sound she emitted was a mix between a groan and a laugh. "Is that good or bad?" she asked as he drew nearly all the way out of her before snapping his hips to fill her to the brim again.

"Good," he muttered, tongue tracing her clavicle. The gruff sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine. "So fucking good."

Her breath hitched as she slid in and out of her again and again, each time nearly leaving her entirely before ramming into her with pleasurable force. Her nails dug into the skin of his shoulders that she gripped for purchase. "Y-you're the..." her words turned into a moan as he picked up the pace. "The only o-one… _Draco_!"

The noise she made as he hit the right spot inside her body was one that she had never made before. He stilled his movements and she whined, moving her hips in search of friction. "You waited for me?" His voice was timid and low against the curve of her throat.

She nodded vigorously and arched her hips into him, her walls fluttering and clutching at his swollen cock. "Yes," she hissed. She hadn't realized that was what she had done until he asked. There had never been anyone else, but she hadn't realized she'd been waiting now. Her hand snaked up to his hair to tilt his head back. The vulnerability in his eyes tugged at her heartstrings.

Her walls tightened around his cock in attempt to get him to start moving again. The vulnerability in his eyes vanished, replaced with a dark hunger as he wet his lips. "You're fucking mine," the declaration dripped from his lips with fire that spread through her body.

She whimpered and nodded enthusiastically. "Yours," she agreed, lowering her hand to caress his cheek.

A low growl emitted from deep within him and she cried out as he resumed fucking her, this time his pace punishingly breathtaking. She rolled her hips as she tried to meet him thrust for thrust, but they got out of sync and she yelped as he stumbled and fell backwards. She waved her hand, transfiguring an article of clothing into a mattress thick enough to cushion their fall. Her laughter was cut short as he picked up the pace again the moment his back hit the mattress.

Her knees caged him in as she sat above him. His hands landed on her hips, gripping tight enough to leave bruises as he bucked into her again and again. She cried out as she crested, the wave of her release turning her body to jelly. She threw her head back, her curls cascading down her back.

He brought one hand up to palm at her breasts alternatively. When she came down from her high, she could already feel the second one building. She leaned forward, her palms slapping against his chest. She shifted her hips and began to ride him. He angled his hips so that her clit could grind against his pubic bone, giving her that friction her body craved.

_"Hermione!" _he all but growled, his body beginning to spasm beneath her.

She kept her eyes open as she watched him come undone beneath her. She only had a second to take in the sight. A second to engrain the look on his face into her memory. As her release wracked through her body, she thought it was the most stunning sight she had ever seen.

When her mind cleared and her breathing had somewhat returned to normal, she slid off of him and settled into the crook of his arm. He turned to place a kiss on her forehead and cup her face. "I love you," he said; she would never tire of hearing it.

"I love you," she returned; would never tire of saying it. She sighed, wishing they had all the time in the world to enjoy the moment, but the door to the bathroom wasn't even locked. She used her magic to clean them up and placed a hand on his chest. "We should get back."

He groaned, but nodded. They detangled themselves from one another and got to their feet. Hermione's legs protested the entire time, threatening to give out on her without notice as they redressed. When they were presentable, he pulled her to him again and kissed her deeply, savoring the moment. She broke the kiss and moved towards the door, beckoning him to follow her.

They took their time walking back to the Great Hall. The event was still going strong and would be for a few more hours at least. A few people looked at them with shock on their faces and stepped back to let them pass. Soon, the entire crowd fell into a lull as all eyes focused on them. They looked around and then at one another. She saw the gleam in his grey eyes and knew what he was planning a split second before it happened.

"Better get used to it," he said a second before he gathered her in his arms and pulled her close while dropping his lips to hers.

A collective gasp worked its way through crowd moments before the familiar flash of bulbs went off around them. Neither of them cared as they lost themselves in the comfort they had both been denied for far too long. If it hadn't been for the pesky need for air that made her lungs burn, she wasn't sure she would ever stop kissing Draco.

When they broke apart, he reached down to lace his fingers through hers and waved his hand at the reporters. "Harry Potter would love to give you the inside scoop," Draco said, nodding at his former rival.

Harry had been smiling at them, but when the reporters turned to the Golden Boy, he scowled at the pair. Hermione smiled sympathetically and then looked back at Draco. "Can we go?"

"Thought you'd never ask," he said and led her through the crowd. They took off in a run once they exited the main door to the castle. He chased her all the way to the Apparition point just beyond the wards and imposed a bruising kiss on her lips; one that started on the Hogwarts grounds, continued as she Apparated them to her flat, and ended as they stood in her living room.

"I love you," they whispered in unison. They repeated the mantra as they made up for all the time they had lost. The horrors of the past put behind them each time the phrase was uttered.

Hope of seeing him again had saved her through her darkest moments. He had been the light at the end of the tunnel. Something to look forward to when the war was over. Something worth fighting for. She knew he felt the same; he had told her as much during the night. It was hope that kept him going just as it had for her.

Through that hope, they found their salvation.

Not for the first time, she woke to Draco the next morning. A strong sense of longing coursed through her as she realized just how badly she had wanted this; to wake next to him painted in gold from the first rays of the early morning sun. For so long they had been forced to hide in darkness that the light had to be a sign of a fresh start. She smiled at him as she thought that for once, just once, time might finally be on their side.


End file.
